His Only Rose
by GingersKitty08
Summary: no summary... i'm terrible at them. sorry D
1. Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Being a girl is easy. Like guys, fix your hair, all that. It's even fun sometimes.

Being a girl NEWSIE is hard. Dress like a guy, act like a guy, lie about headlines. It can be fun too, but it's hard work.

Being me is ten times as hard. Dress like a guy while hawking headlines. Being a girl while working at Medda's, serving drinks. It's completely confusing sometimes.

My name's Antoinette. Not Marie, but close enough. May Antoinette Germaine. Not French, but mom wished I would be.

Mom died when I was five. I inherited her brown eyes and shy demeanor. She'd be horrified at how I live. I was one of the "richies" back then.

Dad, who I inherited my red-brown hair from, died in a train wreck the day I turned 9. He was on his way home for my birthday, but the train he got on was hit by another train that had no idea that his train was on the same set of tracks. Big wreck. Worst birthday of my life.

I was turned out by all of my relatives. Nobody wanted a "little brat" in their house. So, I ended up on the street.

The newsies found me. Blackjack was the leader of the Brooklyn newsies at the time. He found me out on the street, crying after 3 days of sleeping in random alleys. He turned me over to Silver, the head of the Manhattan newsies. Brooklyn couldn't handle a little girl at the time. They were overrun with young boys.

Silver helped me sell my papers until I was good enough at it that I could hawk a headline like a pro. He was so proud. After another couple of months, he even let me sell with the younger ones. Helping them out, holding their papers.

About 4 months after I got there, Silver turned 18, and got a job in the distribution center. He put Jack Kelly in charge. Jack, who was usually called Cowboy, was the one that gave me my nickname. All the good newsies have one. Silver must've had some sort of pull on what it was, because it was something he had always called me.

"May, ya new newsie name is," Jack told me, "Rose."

May roses are the most beautiful ones ever. Silver always called me "rose" because, when I was new at the house, I was shy and quiet, but once I got out there and started selling, he said "Ya just kinda, well, bloomed!"

So, from that day on, I was Rose to all of the newsies. Once in awhile, one would call me May, or Annie sometimes, but only one called me Antoinette. That is the current leader of Brooklyn. Spot Conlon. He was on "patrol" with Blackjack when he found me.

Spot always preferred my middle name to my first and newsie names. He never made a nickname of it either. Never Annie, or Netta, or anything. Always Antoinette.

He'd call me Rose in front of the newsies, but when we'd run into each other, he'd call me Antoinette.

Once, I literally ran into him in the park. He had said, "Why, Antoinette, isn't it an absolutely LOVEly day?" He'd always tease me about being a richie, but never cruelly. Just in a nice way.

Here's where this story starts. I'm 13 years old, and still a Manhattan newsie. Brooklyn's just gained a few new girl newsies, and I've been sent to help Spot "train" them. It's kind of like when you get a new puppy, you have to get them used to everything and all.

________________________________________________________________________

"Okay, so your names are Lillith, Suzette, and Daisy?" I asked. The new girls all nodded their heads.

Lillith was a short blonde with lovely brown eyes. She was the shy one.

Suzette was a bit taller than Lillith, and had bright red hair and green eyes. Obviously from Ireland originally. She had the Irish temper and accent. She was the troublemaker of the group.

Daisy was the tallest of the three, and obviously the oldest. She was gorgeous. Long brown locks of hair with deep blue eyes. She was the glue that held the small group together.

"Alright goils," Spot said, "Dis is Rose, she'll be helpin' ya."

They all looked at me, and immediately I knew I'd be doing more than just helping them. I'd be taking care of them.

"Ya gotta stay wid 'er when ya sell papes, an' when ya go off, she's gotta know where ya going, a'right?" he said, more as a command than a question.

"Yes sir." Daisy said, "I'll make sure we all do our best."

Spot was charmed by Daisy. She was obedient and the hardest worker of them. She'd keep Lillith on task and Suzette from hurting customers on more than one occasion.

"She's diligent, Spot." I told him, "Suzette tends tah get angry at people, an' Lillith gets distracted easily, but she keeps 'em workin'."

"Good." Spot said, "If she did anythin' less, you'd be doin' all dat."

"So, who's giving 'em der newsie names?" I asked.

"You are." Spot said, giving me a look like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Didn't da person dat took care a ya give ya your name?"

"Nah." I said, "Silver stepped out befoah he had da chance to. Jack did."

"Silver gave ya nickname tah Jack tah give tah ya." Spot said, "He woulda given it to yah, but he left."

And that's how I learned how newsies got their names.

________________________________________________________________________

I thought about theirs for WEEKS before I came up with anything good.

Lillith's a bit flighty, so we'd call her some kind of bird name like Robin or Raven.

Suzette's got a quick temper, so Flames or Scorch would be good for her.

But Daisy was going to be the hard one. She's good at alot of things, and she has almost no faults.

"I can't come up wid a good one fah Daisy." I told Spot, "I got dah othah ones, but her's is gonna be tough."

"Well, what are da othah ones?" he asked.

"Lillith's is either Robin or Raven." I said, he nodded in agreement, so I went on, "Suzette would be Flames or Scorch."

"Flames is bettah." Spot said, "Red hair, hot tempah. Poifect fah her."

"So, what about Daisy?" I asked.

"I'll think about it." he said, "But don' expect nothin'. You gotta give it tah her."


	2. A Rose That Blooms In Fairy Tales

Blink: ANGEL! ANGELANGELANGELANGELAN—

Me: WHAT!?!?

Blink: Ya fahgat tah do dat disclaimah t'ing at da beginnin' a da story!

Me: SHIT!

Race: Dat ain't no way fah a lady tah tawk!  
Me: Shut it or I kill you BOTH off in this story!

Blink+Race: [Sadly] Okay…

Me: WHO WANT'S TO DO THE DISCLAIMER!

Les: ME MEMEMEME!!!

Me: [Nicely] Okay, Les. You get to do it tjis time.

Les: Angel doesn't own NOTHIN' in da story, 'cept da characters ya don't recognize. [To Angel] Was dat okay?

Me: [Holding back tears] Yea… it's fine…

David: What's wrong?

Me: I REALLY WANNA OWN YOU GUYS!!!

David: [Hug] It's okay. You can pretend to own us.

Me: [Sniffle] Really?

Blink: Shoah. If Davey's okay wid it, I guess we all are.

Me: YES!!! Okay, Race, no more betting or poker. They're both bad habits. Les, you stay cute. Blink…. Lose the hat? … Nah, I like you better with it… David, don't change… much… grow some backbone or something'.

Race: [Whispering to Blink] She's starting to sound like Spot.

Me: SHUT IT!!! We gotta get to the story!

After weeks and weeks of watching these three girls, I have figured out exactly why three so very different people would stick together.

Suzette, the fiery, Irish red-head, was abandoned as a child, and Lillith's family, a very Italian group, took her in. Lillith's uncle was an abusive man, so Daisy, one of their neighbors convinced the younger girls to come with her to somewhere better. They had been on the streets ever since.

"But, we'se okay now, Rose." Daisy said, "I got dem outta dere, an' now, de're much bettah off."

"Ya did a good t'ing fah dem, Daisy." I told her, "Ya got dem outta a very bad sit'chu'ation. Ya's a good friend."

"Ya got dat right." Suzette barged in, "She 'elped us a lot, she did."

"I don' know where we'd be widout cha, Dais." Lillith said, "We'se a fam'ly now."

"An' right now, ya gotta get tah bed." I said, "Spot'll kill me fah lettin' ya stay up dis late. Ya gotta get up oily tamarrah. Sellin' papes an' all."

"Yeah, yeah," Suzette said, "Carryin' da bannah."

_______________________________________________________________________

"What was you'se t'inkin', lettin' 'em stay up like dat!" Spot said, "De're mosta da reason people buy papes aroun' heah, an' now look at 'em." He pointed out the window at them, "De're dead tiahed."

"I'se sorry, Spot." I said, "But ya don' gotta bark at me about it. Dey was tellin' me about why dey ended up out heah."

"Was dat a 'Spot' joke?" Spot asked me, "Ya know I don' like does, Antoinette!"

I looked straight into his icy blue eyes, staring just as coldly as he could. I hoped he could feel the ice in my stare, "Why do ya always call me dat!" I yelled, "Ya might know me name, but ya don' gotta call me dat."

"I like bein' da only one dat calls ya dat." Spot said, "Makes me feel…"

"Powerful?" I stated, "Ya got enough a dat fah a ton a people. An' ya still lookin' fah more?"

"Act'chaly, I was gonna say special." Spot said.

I left the room, not realizing the perfect opportunity I had passed up. Spot had basically said that I, in a roundabout way, made him feel special. In a very roundabout way, but still.

________________________________________________________________________

The next few nights, I had gotten the girls into bed on time, just as Spot had ordered. That Saturday, the girls wanted to stay up again.

"Please, Rose?" Suzette asked, "We'se been t'inkin'. If ya let us stay up on soitin' nights, we'se gettin' bettah sleep da night aftah."

"Yea." I said, "But I get yelled at when ya don' look ya best da next mornin'."

Lillith looked at me with so much concern in her eyes. "He yells atcha?" she asked, "Dat's how evry-thin' started wid me uncle." She started tearing up, "He'd yell, an' den he'd…"

"Ya don' gotta tell me about dat, Lil." I said, "I know what it's like."

Truth was, I had absolutely no idea what she had went through. I needed her to trust me, so I didn't want to lie, but just saying I knew what it was like wasn't TECHNICALLY lying.

"Rose?" she whispered later that night, "I can't sleep. I had a nightmare."

"Ya wanna tawk about it?" I asked, "Maybe tawkin' about it'll make it bettah."

She walked over to my bed, and sat down next to me. "I dreamed about me uncle." She whispered, "He came an' found me 'n Suz. An' he beat us." She started to cry.

I took her down to the kitchen to get her something to drink. She sat on the counter, drinking a glass of water while I talked to her softly, like I remembered my mother doing when I had nightmares.

"He couldn't be heah, Lil." I said, "Ya tol' me he lived in Virginia?" She nodded. "Den he couldn't be heah." I said, "He wouldn't know da foist place tah look. An' even if he did, I'd be heah tah protect ya. Ya ain't goin' nowhere dat I won't know where ya are, right?"

She nodded again. "I'se not goin' anywheah widoutcha, Rose." She said, "I don' feel safe."

_______________________________________________________________________

"Spot, I can't go every wheah wid 'er." I said, sobbing. I had told Spot the whole story. It touched me that she didn't trust anyone but me, and that she'd tell me about this, but I just couldn't get that attached to her. She would be staying at Brooklyn, and I'd be going back to Manhattan.

"Maybe, jus' dis once," Spot said, "Ya can take dis one widcha."

"But, dey'se a package deal, remembah?" I said, laughing a bit at the memory, "Dey don' go nowheah widout each odder."

Spot thought about it for a moment. "I guess dat means dat ya gotta stay heah in Brooklyn den."

I looked at him, "Dis isn't jus' some grand scheme ya came up wid tah keep me head wid ya, is it?"

"How would it go so poifectly if it was planned?" he asked. He stepped a bit closer, which seemed almost impossible, since he was standing less than a few inches from me. "Ya gotta stay wid 'er." He said, "She's chose ya as 'er replacement fah 'er muddah."

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me." I said, "Ya did plan dis."

"If I had, I woulda planned somet'in' much biggah." He said, laughing. That was the first time I had seen Spot laugh since the day Blackjack brought me into the Brooklyn Lodging House. "She's ya responsibility though. Ya gotta take care a 'er."

"I'll stay den." I said, "But, on one condition."

"What's dat?" Spot asked, he wasn't used to getting conditions for things.

"Ya gotta help me." I said, "When I go tah leave, when she toins 14, I'm goin' back tah Manhattan."

"Ya can't go back tah 'Hattan." He said, "Cuz, I'm gonna need ya heah fah anodda group a new newsies."

I laughed, "Ya jus' lookin' fah excuses tah keep me, ain'tcha?" He nodded. "Well, fine. I'se gonna stay, but ya gotta promise me somethin'."

"Anythin' fah you, Antoinette." He said.

"Ya gotta give da next group a newbies tah anoddah goil." I said, "One group is enough fah me."


	3. Letters To Rose

Daisy, as the oldest of the girls at 14, started taking responsibility for Suzette's misbehavior. "Ya can't be doin' dat fahevah." I told her, "Eventyally, she's gonna hafta face up tah whoevah she's done wrong by, an' fix it."

None of the girls really understood what I meant. "But, we'll all be tagetha, so who'll even know?" Lillith asked.

"Dat's da t'ing, goils." I said, "At some point, ya gonna hafta be separated. From each oddah, an' from me." This is about when everything went crazy.

I, with my 16 years of life experience, should've known better. Lillith, at 12, freaked out and started crying. Suzette started to get angry with me for upsetting her. And Daisy just got angry at me.

"We'se a fam'ly, Rose." she said, "Ya migh' not undahstand dat, since ya ain't got one, but we'se stickin' tagetha."

"Yeah." Suzette said, "I don' care if Spot DOES try tah force us tah stay, we ain't gonna if ya try tah separate us."

Spot heard her, and walked in at this point. "I ain't gonna separate ya unless ya do somethin' huge. Like tryin' tah hoit ya leadah." he said, "Rose is ya leadah fah now. Ya hoit 'er, and' ya all goin' tah diff'rent lodgin' houses in diff'rent parts a New York. Ya got it?"

All of us were very surprised by him coming in. The girls just sat and looked at him for a second. Lillith started crying again, and Daisy took her to another room to console her. Suzette threatened to hurt someone if we DID try to separate them, and Spot threatened to sent her to Santa Fe via slingshot if she DID hurt someone. Needless to say, she quit threatening.

That night, getting them to bed was simple. "It was way too easy, Spot." I said, "Ya t'ink dey hate me now?"

"Nobody could hate ya, Antoinette." Spot said, "If dey tried, dey'd be answerin' tah me."

After we said goodnight, Spot sent me off to bed. The girls seemed sound asleep when I got in. I went around to check on each one of them (that Daisy didn't tie up her hair too tight, Lillith wasn't wearing her necklace, Suzette wasn't still wearing her hat, etc.) That's when I noticed two things. 1. the girls were gone. 2. there were notes on their beds instead of them.

_Rose - I'se reel sahry dat wee was rude tah you an' Spot. It ain't ya fault dat we'se not such good goils. Sahry I was such a hot-head. I jus' get angry reel quik. Sahry, but wee had tah leeve. Hope I sees ya again, someday. - Suzette_

_Rose - I apologize for any trouble we may have given you. When the others had gone to bed one night, I snuck out for a glass of water, and accidentaly heard you and Spot talking about us. I apologie for Suzette's outburst. I'll try harder to help her control her temper. Thank you for trying to help us. - Daisy__  
__PS- Spot isn't just being nice when he says "Anything for you", he likes you. - Daisy_

_Rose - I'm sorry dat I got so emoshinal. I jus' can't help it sometimes. I can't control my feelin's. If I evah see ya again, I'll thank ya in person fah helpin me. You'se reel good tah us when we didn't deserve it. I'll miss ya. - Lillith_

"SPOT!" I yelled, almost sobbing. I didn't care if I woke everyone in New York up, my girls were gone, and I had to let him know.

Spot burst in with Axle and Bits in tow. "Wha's wrong?" he asked.

"Dey'se gone." I said, collapsing in a sobbing heap with their letters in my hand, "Dey left."

Axle and Bits went back to bed, and Spot walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "Did day leave ya a note or somethin'?" he asked.

I handed him the letters. "Dey all apologized fah bein' trouble. Lillith... she said dey didn't desoive us bein' as good to 'em as we was." I looked up at Spot's usually cold, uncaring eyes, which were now very caring, and he looked rather sweet.

"Spot." I said, "Ya t'ink dey'se gonna come back?"

He looked through the letters. While reading Suzette's, he looked like he was about to laugh. Probably a mix between her terrible spelling, and the fact that she admitted to being a hot-head. During Daisy's, he looked quite angry. He probably didn't like that she had listened in and took our conversation the way she did. During Lillith's, he looked kinda sad.

"Dey may not come back," he said, "But dey'se gonna let ya know, if ya evah see dem again, dat dey appreciated ya."

We hugged. It was kinda like a hug you'd give a friend after you both had gone through a great loss. I decided that this would be the best moment to get all mushy. Right when we pulled back from the hug, I leaned forward and kissed him.


	4. Love Of A Rose

Two weeks after the "incident" (the kiss), I went to visit my friends in Manhattan. As fate would have it, Spot had been visiting them as well. For the past 2 weeks, actually. Coming and going randomly, almost ghost-like.

"Like a real distracted ghost." Blink said, "E's been heah, I'd say, 'bout 5 times a week fah da past 2 weeks."

"Has 'e talked to anyone in particulah?" I asked.

"Why so suddenly intahrested, Ann?" Race asked, "Ya jealous of whoevah 'is new goil is?"

"Or, bettah yet," Jack said, "Maybe she IS 'is goil!"

They all laughed until they thought about it, and noticed that it might be true. Jak looked kinda angry, like Spot should've told him. Race looked like he'd won a bet, and went off to collect his money from Mush, and Blink looked kinda surprised.

"Ya really 'is goil, Ann?" he asked me.

"Nah." I said, "I jus' kissed 'im, an' 'e's been avoidin' me, an' leavin' mysteriously fah da past couple a weeks, so I thought I'd investigate."

"Spot... an' Rose?" Jack said, confused, "Why would DIS happen?"

I glared at Jack. "I ain't 'is goil yet." I said, "I kissed 'im, an' now 'e's ignorin' me."

I thought about it, "Maybe 'e's ignorin' me cuz he don' like me..."

"May." Blink said, "Ya 'is best newsie. 'E's gotta tawk tah ya event'yally."

"I guess ya right." I said, "I'se goin' back tah Brooklyn now. Ya wanna come wid me?"

"Umm..." Blink said, nervously, looking around, "I gotta... make shoah.." suddenly, Les walks in, "LES!" he said, "Yeah, I gotta make shoah Les gets home."

"Yeah." Les said, looking a bit confused, "I asked Blink tah take me home, since David's already gone."

I figured part of that was a lie, but didn't want anyone else mad at me, so I dropped it. "Alright." I said, "I'se goin' now."

"Bye Rose." Les said, giving me a hug, putting his head on my shoulder, he whispered, "Spot's in da closet."

"Thanks, buddy." I said, "Bye guys."

The boys waited a minute to make sure I left before they started talking again. "I thought she'd nevah leave." Race said, "Ya can come out now, Spot."

Spot peeked out of the closet, "Ya shoah she's gone?"

"Spot." Jack said, almost annoyed, "We hoid 'er shut da door, an' walk down da staiahs. She's gone."

Spot came out, "Well, ya was right, Jacky-boy." he said, "She DID come tah ya when she noticed."

"So, ya gonna ask 'er?" Les asked.

"Ask 'er what?" Spot said, "If she'd be my goil? Nevah. She don' like me."

"Den why'd she kiss ya?" Blink said, laughing in his face, "She's in love wid ya, Spot."

"Ya too blinded tah see it!" Race said.

"Blinded by what?" Spot said, "I got poifect vision."

"Blinded by love, Spotty." Jack said, "She's got ya hooked."

I sat outside the door, laughing inside at what they were saying. Spot, liking me? No way. Not in a million years. Not in a TRILLION years...

"Ya right, Jack." Spot said, plopping down on one of the bunks. "I'se in love wid 'er. But, da kiss was a fluke."

"Whaddaya mean?" Les said, "I think she likes ya."

"She kissed me when we was both real distracted." Spot said, "Ya remembah I tol' ya dat da tree goils she was watchin' ovah left? Well, dey left 'er some notes, an' she was real upset, an' I read 'em, an', she jus'..."

"She trusted ya tah be dere fah 'er. An' ya was." Jack said, "She loves ya, man."

"Yeah." Blink said, "I don' see why ya can't see it."

"I can't see what ain't dere, guys." he said, sounding depressed. "I love 'er. But she jus' don' feel da same way."

I didn't want to hear any more. I opened the door, and Blink started laughing. Les knew I was there, so he wasn't affected by me coming in. "I do love ya, Spot." I said, "I jus' didn't think YOU felt da same way."

"Now, befoah ya start kissin' again," Jack said, "Jus' remembah dis, dere's a small child in da room. So go get ya own. Got it?"

"Fine." Spot said, "We'se goin' back tah Brooklyn."


	5. Love And Be Loved By Rose

We got to Brooklyn as quickly as Spot could drag me there. He locked the two of us in his room and told all the guys not to disturb us. We sat and talked for awhile about "us."

"Do ya really love me?" Spot asked, "Like da guys said?"

"Yeah." I said, blushing a bit. "I do."

"Well, I guess dis is a bit awkwahd..." he said, "But, I love ya too."

We sat and avoided each other's glances for awhile. After a few minutes, Spot just sat and stared at me until I turned and looked back at him. We sat, lost in each other's eyes. It was amazing. One day, you look into a guy's eyes and see nothing but anger, or coldness. The next, you look into them, and see nothing but kindness.

"I jus' don' get it." I said, looking away."

"Don' get what?" Spot asked, trying to get me to look at him again.

"I jus' don' get that, one day, I look atcha an', nothin'." I said, "But den, I look atcha, an' I feel dis… Love."

"I don' know how ya couldn't feel da love, cuz, well…" Spot actually blushed. I never thought I'd see that. "Remembah when Silvah an' I found ya?"

I nodded. "Well, I'se loved ya since den." He said, "Always have."

I didn't need any more reason then that to kiss him. He was kind of shocked that I did, but he got used to it quickly.

We fell asleep in each other's arms that night. Whispering to each other. Spot was telling me all the reasons he loved me.

"I always loved ya eyes." He said, "Dey remind me of a nice, warm kinda feelin'. Like, when ya drink hot chocolate."

I laughed, "I always saw ya eyes as somethin' like diamonds." I said. "An' ya smile… When ya smile, it lights up everythin'."

"I almos' nevah see ya smile anymoah, Antoinette." He said, "I miss dat. When ya foist came, ya smiled too much, an' now ya nevah smile."

"I'm sahry." I said, "I jus'…"

He shushed me, "Ya don' hafta make an excuse."

We sat for awhile, just laying there, together, looking at each other. I had never seen so much love in a gaze since my mom and dad had last gazed into each others eyes. And I wasn't ever on the receiving end of a loving gaze until now.

"I love ya, Spot." I whispered.

He just lay there, gazing at me. I snuggled closer to him. It felt so right, just laying there in his arms. I never wanted anything more than that. After that, all I wanted was just to be held by him.

When I woke up the next morning, he was awake already. "Why didn't ya leave?" I asked him.

"I didn't wanna wake ya up." He said, "Ya look so cute when ya asleep."

I blushed. "Thanks?" I said. He laughed. "I have a question." I said.

"Okay." He said, "What is it?"

"What's ya real name?" I asked, "Ya know mine, of course. I jus' nevah hoid anyone call ya by yours."

"I nevah told anyone my real name." he said, "I'se always been called Spot. Except, when I had a fam'ly. They called me Sean. Conlon is my real last name."

"Where'd ya get Spot from?" I asked, "It's such an… odd name."

He laughed a bit. "Me oldah bruddah had a dog named Spot." He said, "James was me bruddah's name."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, I left." He said, "I got tiahed a bein' a part a dat. I had tah dress up an' stuff. James loved dat junk, I jus' wasn't so fond a it."

"So, where's ya bruddah now?" I asked.

"I really don' know." He said, "Spot died befoah I left. Dat's all I remembah."

"I'm sahry." I said, "I shouldn't ask so many questions."

"Ya got a right tah know all about me." He said, "Well, ya do if ya wanna be my goil."

"Umm..." I acted like I had to think about it. Spot looked worried, "I'se jus' kiddin'." I said, "I'd love tah be ya goil."


End file.
